Variable-speed gearing.



No. 866,498. P AIEMEJ'J- SEPT. 17, l190'?.

' J. G. LAMBERT s1 B. E. WADDAMS.

VARIABLE SPEED GEAEING.. APPLIAIION FILED HABmQ, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 www PATENTED SEPT. 17"' J. G. LAMBERT 61: B. E.WADDAMS.

VARIABLE SPEED G'EARING.

APPLIGATION FILED MAB, 9, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS'ES:

UNITED sanguins ifATnNT osrron.

EDWARD wmp-sns, or EALiNe,4

VARIABLELSVPEED GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept.v 17,1907, t

Application filed Marcil 9, 1907. Seilial No. 381,469.

To all 'whom 'it may concern: v

Be it known that we, JAMts GRAHAM LAMBERT, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and ireland, and residing at l'vy rlree Farm, l-ladleigh,in the county of Suffolk, England, automobile engineer,v and BENJA-MiNEnwAnn WAnnAMs, a subject of theKing of Great Britain and lreland,and residing at 4, St. .l ames avenue, Ealing, in the county ofMiddlesex, England, engineers draftsman, have invented new and usefulImprovements in and-relatingto, Variable-Speed Gearing, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relatesto variable speed gearing for motor road'vehieles,and it consists essentially of a plurality of worms mounted to slide onbut rotate With the propeller or driving shaft, the said worms being allof the l same diameter but having the same normal pitch and a varyingnumber of threads, a single worm Wheel on the axle carrying ortransmitting motion to the road wheels,

, a clutch for coupling said worm-wheel to said shaft,

and means forbringing the worms on the driving shaft into engagementwith the worm wheel 0n the.d.riven` shaft, the objects bebing to obtaina' direct drive on all speeds and generally to simplify and reduce thenumber of parts in such gearing. In the accompanying drawings whichillustrate this inve1ition':-Figure l is abroken view in transverseSection through the centery of the driven shaft, Fig. 2 is a broken Viewin side elevation, and 3 is a broken ,View in planpartly in section.

Throughout the viewsvs'imilar partsare marked with like letters ofreference.

On the drivenI shaft s yis loosely mounted a Worm wheel. a which can becoupled or uncoupled with the said shaft (tln'oughthe differential gear,which may be of any suitable type, and forms no part of thisinvention)by means of Va clutch b which may either be of the cone type, asillustrated, orof anyapther suitable and convenient type.' et l Arrangedat right angles to the shaft at is the driving shaft y which is coupledeither directly or indirectly t0 the motor. This shaft y runs insuitable bearings 'v o formed in or carried by 'the easing w whichcarries' the bearings el el oi the driven shaft I On the shaft y are'xed at a suitable dista-nce 'apart three Worms c cl-and c2, all ofthesame diameter and normal pitch, but each having a varying number `ofthreads. The worm c has two threads and the Worm c? seven threads,giving a' velocity ratio of 3 to l,j the.

It will be ob vious that any number of velocity ratios ceive it.

may. be provided by the employment of additional worms, and that thevelocity ratios Will depend upon the numberof threads in each worm. Theworms are preferably formed on' or fixed to a sleeve c3 mounted to slidefreely on the shaft y but are v i constrainedto rotate with said shaft,so that they can be controlled by a single lever, but this is notobligaf tory. .The position of the sleeve c3 with respect tothe wormwheel a is controlled and regulated by a fork dcarried by a slide 'dmountedon. suitable guides'e in the casing w, the said fork engaginggrooves c* 'c4 in said 65 sleeve. The said fork d1 is ,preferably aduplex one as shown so as to operate as a thrust bearing to take thedriving thrust of the worms.

The slide d isoperated by a rod f connected with any suitable operatingmechanism under 'the control of the 70 ing drawing, which consists of apawl gi pivoted to the l7 5 slide d and engaging notches e1 'in theguides e in the casing w, the position of the lpawl being controlled byany suitable mechanism such as`a rodl g1 running through 'the rod fwhich would be made hollow to relar'in form hand may take the formofrollers-mounted on radially arranged pins. i 4 l' -l `The disengagingpart of 4the clutch b is connected 8O The teeth of the Worm wheel a arepreferably circuthroii'gh suitable mechanism, such as a fork bl mounted85` gon a rocking shaft b2 which is connected with a foot or other leverunder the control of the driver of the vehicle, and if the usualfrictionclutch isv employed to couple the crankrshaft of the motor with thedriving l shaft y the two clutches are arranged to work in unison. 9G

lt will be seenthat this-gearing gives a direct drive on all speeds. l l

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,isz-' 1. In a'variable speed gearing, the combination with the 95driving and driven',` shafts, of aworm wheel mounted loosely onthedriven shait, a clutch for coupling said wheel to said shaft, aplurality of -worrns of the same diameter and normal pitch but eachhaving la different number of threads, the said worms being all mountedon a sleeveA tree to slide on but rotate with the driving shaft,nie-,ins for shifting' the position of the said sleeve on said shaft,means for locking said sleeve in the several positions to retain theworms' in their operative positions, and means flor disengaging theclutch, as set forth,

2. In a variable speed gearing for motor road vehicles, the combinationof a driving shaft, a driven shaft of the differential type arranged atright angles to the driving shaft, a worm Wheel loosely mounted on thedriven shaft, a clutch for coupling the Worm Wheel to the primary ordriving members of the `dierential gear, a plurality of (llifrrontialtype arrangud at, right anglvs tu tht` driving' shaft. a wurm whoellnusuly mu'untud `on th drivvn shaft. a clutch fur coupling the\\'orm`\\'hotl to thi` primary or driving mvmhvrs o! thc divrontialguar. a plurality ot' worms of thu .sumo dlumrlrr and. normal pitch but'oarh having a dittrunt numlwr of thruads thu said worms lwing allmuuuti-d on a sluuvu free to slidtl un hut rotatif with the drivingshaft. moans for shifting tho position uf th(` said sheevt un saidshaft. and of moans for locking said .slvtvu in^ tho sovvrulpusitions torotain tht` worms in thfir oporativt` positions. us sot forth.

4. In a varlahhl spood gearing for mutur road rvhrlts. thv combinationof a driving shaft, a drivon shaft tittid with a diffcrvntial guar. awurm wlnvl lousoly niuuntvd un the driven shaft, a clutch for couplingthu worm whuvl to the primary or driving mumhors of thtl diii'ortntialguar,

a plurality of worms mounted to rotato with and slide on Y thu drivlngshaft. tho said Worms boing all of thu .santo diameter und normal pitchhut nach having a ditvront numhcr of thrrads. moans fur hriniringthv'said worms into ongzagrnnnt With thowurm whoul, and lnuansfur.lockin;,: said worms to rotain .samtx in thoir uptratiru positions,as sot forth.

In a variablt` speed guaring fur motor road whichs, I

thv combination of a driving shaft. a drivvn shaft tittvd.A J

with a diforontiai guar. a worm whvul luosol)v niuunl'id on tho drivenshaft. a clutch for coupling.: tht` worm whtul to tho primary or drivingmonilwrs of thu ditfurtntial guar. a pluralit \v of worms uf'tho .samatlianiottr and normal pitrh hut uarh having;r a diiurunt numhor ofthroads. tho said worms living: all mountod on a .shavu trt-u to slidtun hut rotatv with .tho driving shaft. uf moans tur shifting tht`position uf thtl said slttrt on .said shaft. ut' moans t'ur locking saidsluovv in tho srvtral positions tu rutain thtl worms in their operativ(`positions. and of means for disvngzag'inf.: the clutch. as sul forth.

' JAMES Hlt.\ll.\.\l LAMBERT.

BENJAAHX IIl)\\'.\ltll WAUIMUS.

\\'tnos. rs z (i. V. Murs II. 1). .Inni-:suv

